Following Nick's very thoughtful use of a quote at the start of his blog post, I decided to follow suit. Elton John once sang, "In the jungle, the mighty jungle, the lion sleeps tonight. In the jungle, the mighty jungle, the lion sleeps tonight. A weeeeeeeeeeeee eeeeeee oh wee om omma way." Well maybe I improvised on that last part but Elton's words are very fitting for our past weekend's trip to ZAMBIA! World Camp does safari. Early Friday morning we piled into the mini bus and took off for a weekend full of fun, relaxation, and lots and lots of animals. The ride took about eight hours in total (including customs and pit stops), and the majority was spent crawling down a windy, unpaved road through Zambia until we reached our final destination, Wildlife Camp.
Our past two weeks with World Camp have been a whirlwind of activity. Our days are chock-full of teaching, dancing, singing, prep work for the week, cooking, journaling, reflecting and nightly evaluations. So when we got to Wildlife Camp, I think most of us were excited to get the chance to relax, see some animals, and soak in our beautiful surroundings. As Zambia is a neighboring country to Malawi, we were all astounded at how different the countries were, though just hours apart. Seemingly seconds after crossing the border and entering Zambia, someone commented at just how forested the country is. There are trees EVERYWHERE, something that Malawi definitely lacks. Deforestation is a huge problem not just in Malawi but all over the world, yet I got a feeling for just how big of a problem it is when seeing the stark differences between Malawi and Zambia. Not only that, but the lack of trees in Malawi has left the country virtually empty of the animals that roam the national parks of Zambia.
We were all scheduled for two drives on Saturday, one morning drive and one night drive through South Luangwa National Park. For many of us, these would be our first safari experiences. Waking up around 5 am Saturday morning, we excitedly met our guide, Billy, packed into his Land Rover, and headed to the park. On the way, we brainstormed what animals we wanted to see: zebras, giraffes, monkeys, elephants, and of course, lions. Billy informed us that because it is the rainy season, it would be a bit difficult to spot some animals (as there is more vegetation), but he assured us that he would try his best, and we were not one bit disappointed. Entering the park, what struck me the most was the sheer beauty of the landscape. One thing I've found through being in Malawi and teaching in the villages is that pictures do not do this place one ounce of justice. The same went for South Luangwa National Park. As far as the eye could see were green grasses dotted with impala, baboons, elephants, and sprawling trees. Although it was cloudy and a bit rainy on our morning drive, the glum weather did not detract from the beautiful landscape that surrounded us. About halfway through the drive, Billy stopped at a spot near the water where we climbed out of the truck to enjoy some coffee with the nearby hippos lounging in the river. It gave us some time to chat with Billy, a fellow Malawian who has since moved to Zambia, and has been guiding safaris for ten years. Although we didn't see any lions in the morning, we were all very content with our drive and eager to return later that night.
We spent the rest of the day lounging around by the pool, watching baboons run through camp, and reading. Before we all knew it, it was time to load onto Billy's Land Rover and head back into the park. This time, Karen joined us! We were ready to spot some leopards and lions. I loved seeing the park near sunset. All of the colors became even more vivid, and the landscape, if possible, became even more idyllic. We all felt like we actually were in the Lion King, as corny as it may sound. My favorite moment of the night was when Billy drove us up to the top of a hill just as the sun was beginning to set.
We hopped out of the truck only to see a breathtaking view of the trees and land below, with the sun setting right over it all. All of us stood, took some pictures and watched the sun set as we enjoyed our sun-downers, supplied by Billy. Looking back, watching the sun set with everybody was one of the first times on this journey that I've really been able to take a step back and just soak everything in. Camp moves so quickly; it feels like day one turns into day four in a matter of seconds. Even on safari,
I was so concentrated on seeing that one lion or that one leopard (which we did eventually see!) that I probably missed out on some beautiful trees or baboons bathing in the sun. But standing up on that hill overlooking miles and miles of park below us, we all took a moment to see the big picture and appreciate how beautiful and serene things can be when you take the time to just step back and slow down. So for these next two weeks, which are sure to fly by, I plan on slowing down and soaking in every moment I can. After all, we only have about 13 sunsets left, and I plan to remember each and every one of them.
Submitted by: Caitlin Barrett
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